Road to Glory
by Chazzyheartslexi
Summary: Alfred was just your average guy, out to clear a cave for the Jarl of Solitude. Little did he knew what would meet him there and the adventures that would soon decide his fate in the world of Skyrim. Eventual USUK and others


**Writing this story because I love Skyrim so much and I thought incorporating the Hetalia characters in the world would be fun X3 The main storyline will vary from the one of the game, but some of the missions may be mentioned in this story. Thanks go out to Lexi and Ashton who helped me come up with a lot of the ideas and RPed this with me! This wouldn't have been written without you OuO**

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Alright... sword? Check! Helmet? Check! Mandatory stash of snacks... DARN IT! Alfred heard his belly rumble as he looked through his bag for the umpteenth time. He must have eaten all of his apples already... but at least he had a carrot! That had to be good for something!

His eyes gazed at the surrounding walls of rock that made up the cave. It really was dark here- as if the place was filled with an incredible evil that chased even the light away. He shivered at the thought, already able to imagine Deadra chasing after him in this dark cavern. He gulped, reminding himself why he was here. He was told to search through the cave after sightings of cloaked people nearby were reported throughout the town of Solitude. Being the middle-class Nord that he was, Alfred needed the money and was looking forward to the large sum of gold that would surely follow his venturing through the cave.

He stood up, deeming fifteen minutes enough time to rest. Sword clutched firmly in his hands, he cautiously trudged forward, glancing about every corner. As he ventured deeper into the cavern, he began to hear it- a chanting, an eerie droning sound coming from deep within the cave. It was a multitude of voices that made up the chorus, and the words were unknown to Alfred, who now gulped, realizing that he wasn't alone in this cave. From what little he knew of legends and lore (he never did like reading much), Deadra didn't chant, so that was always a good thing. But still, he wondered why there would be a group of people in a deserted cave like this chanting in such a way.

He pushed these thoughts aside as he turned another corner, only to pause when he saw that there was another inhabitant in the room. It was a dark mage. He was instantly able to recognize the designs on his robe and linked it towards the conjurers he had always heard about. There were stories of conjurers who used the dark arts and resurrected the dead to fight for them. He didn't want to see what this person would conjure up, and so he decided that a surprise attack would be his best option if he wanted to find the source of the chanting.

Quietly, he stepped towards the mage, turning his sword around so that the hilt faced his target. One thing that Alfred wasn't fond of was killing, and he was going to do all that he could to avoid it here. He figured that if he could hit the mage hard enough in the back of the head while unnoticed, he could knock the guy out so that he could maneuver around him easily. He steadied his breath as he rose his weapon above his head, waiting for the right moment to strike. He then paused at what he saw. His shoulders began to shake as he tried to stay silent, which was proving to be increasingly difficult. The mage- the dark conjurer, was embroidering- sewing rose petals onto a small piece of cloth. Alfred could hold it back no more and let out a bellowing laugh, lowering his sword as the sound echoed across the walls.

The mage jumped slightly in surprise and turned around, clutching the cloth firmly to his chest. Even with the guy's hood covering the top half of his face, Alfred could see the embarrassed blush that accompanied his searing scowl on his face. He cursed under his breath, holding out his hands. A dark aura formed around him and darkness seemed to be literally slipping from his fingertips as he murmured something incoherent and foreign to Alfred. So this must have been one of those spells he had heard about, not that he had seen many in action. He had only confronted a magic-user a few times, and that was not in the midst of battle. Alfred dashed towards him, hoping to send him a blow before he could finish his spell. The man smirked and dodged his advance, the darkness leaving his fingers and forming a cloud of void in front of him. Alfred shuddered, expecting the worst. When the cloud cleared, however, only a small, black frog remained. It paused, hopped a few times, and then disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.

Alfred found himself close to laughing again, but held it back, remembering that they were still in battle. "Not much of a conjurer, are ya?" He joked as he easily shoved the mage against the wall, the cloak falling from his face. It was then that Alfred was finally able to get a good look at him, not that he could notice much aside from his huge eyebrows. They seemed to take over his face, furrowing in anger as the man spat and struggled against him. Beneath them were blazing emerald eyes that seemed to hold Alfred in place as he glared and growled dangerously. Atop his head was the silliest hat Alfred had ever seen, one of those high-class, droopy ones, and he instantly decided that everything about this guy was ridiculous, even as he was searing with rage.

"Unhand me!" He yelled, kicking against his armor. Luckily for Alfred, he was equipped with a strong set of shielding, enabling him to absorb his attacks effectively.

Alfred sighed. If he didn't get the guy to quiet down soon, he would alert everyone else in the cave. He was able to hold him in place by gripping his wrists steadily with one hand, and with his other, he hit him with his sword. He watched as hazel eyes closed and the man lost consciousness, sliding to the ground in an ebony heap. "Sorry..." Alfred apologized softly, treading carefully around him and farther into the cavern.

A few more twists and dark corners, and Alfred found himself in a giant recess of the cave, the top of which extending for yards above his head. The area would have been dark were it not for the purple light that was eerily gathered above him. He gulped, not even wanting to know what that was all about as he ventured through a path that seemed to encompass the entire area. Along the way, he noticed that there were no more mages or really anyone for that matter, which he couldn't help but find strange. If there were people gathering and chanting, wouldn't there have been some security along the place? He pushed the thought aside as he neared the top, where a group of dark mages were gathered. It seemed that they were the culprits emitting the chanting the entire time, and as they continued, he saw that the light above them grew larger and larger.

Alfred wasn't sure what they were doing, but he knew that he couldn't allow it to continue. His mind raced as he assembled a plan of attack in his head. There weren't many men in front of him, no more than five from what he could see. He decided that an outright assault would be the best plan of action and he ran forward, swinging his weapon above his head and hitting the guy in front of him, knocking him out. Simultaneously, the chanting halted and the mages all set their icy glares towards him, nearly piercing his soul with their intensity.

A man near the back stepped forward, hood obscuring his true identity as he held out his hands. "So they sent you."

Alfred gathered his courage and nodded, readying his weapon for his next strike. He shifted his grip slightly and then dashed towards the man, only to see that he disappeared from his spot meters in front of him. Alfred paused momentarily, confused by the turn of events and glanced around, unsure of the man's location. Before he could gather his thoughts, the mage appeared mere inches in front of him and sent a ball of fire hurtling towards him. Pain seared through Alfred's every vein as he fell to the floor, writhing in the intense heat that was now scorching his body. Defenses lowered, Alfred sent the darkest look he could muster towards the man, who loomed closer.

"I would have expected more from the Jarl. Seems as though he's losing his touch." The mage said in a voice devoid of emotion as he turned to his peers. "It's well enough. We've finished anyway." He held up a small, luminescent dagger that reflected the purple rays upon its blade and in a flash, the group was gone, off to the abyss that they no-doubt inhabited.

Alfred slowly rose to his feet, gasping as he struggled to regain his strength. It was a good thing that he brought along a few potions with him, because he easily downed three of them with an aching fervor, wishing for the heat to finally leave his body. He leaned against the wall, watching as the room grew dim and dark with the absence of the light.

"Is the ritual over yet?" The man with the huge eyebrows from earlier darted up the path towards Alfred, glancing about for his companions.

"They're already gone, ya know." Alfred said with a chuckle, watching as shock filled the man's face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they left you behind."

"Shut your trap!" The man yelled, his voice bouncing about the walls of the cave. "What did you do with them?"

Alfred shrugged, grinning as he pulled a torch out of his back, illuminating the room with a dull light. "They just left."

"They wouldn't just leave! Especially not without me." The man strode about the area, stubborn in his beliefs as he refused to give up.

"I hate to say this man, but I really think they did. This guy held up a dagger and the lot of them just sort of disappeared." He explained, not even knowing why he was offering this kind of information to the guy. He supposed that he felt a bit bad for him, seeing as though the group left him behind and all. But as much as he pitied him, he also found the entire situation amusing. "They could be halfway to Whiterun now for all I know."

A hint of gloom was reflected in the man's eyes before it was quickly replaced with anger. "How could they do this? I offered them the information they wanted."

"Information?" Alfred approached the guy, attracting his gaze. "Now that sounds interesting. Did you all have a sort of deal or something?"

"Would you honestly expect me to tell you?" The guy retorted, crossing his arms. "You were the one that was about to kill me nearly ten minutes ago."

"Ah, but I didn't, did I?" Alfred said with a tiny smirk, noticing the frown that met his words. "And believe it or not, I'm a nice guy. Look, I'm even gonna help you get out of here." He grabbed the man's arm and started pulling him about, heading for a darkened corner of the cave.

"Let go! I can find the way out myself!" The man yelled, thrashing his arms about as he shoved Alfred away. Alfred couldn't help but laugh at the guy's actions. He really didn't belong in a group of dark conjurers, this being proven as he went towards the other end of the cave, going the long way back to the entrance.

"Wait. Didn't you know that there's always a shortcut at the end of these caves?" The man sent him a quizzical look, obviously not expecting him to find the exit. Alfred took a few steps forward and pulled a lever on the wall to the right of him, a hidden door opening to the outside as sunlight streamed over them. "See?"

The man cursed beneath his breath as he strode past Alfred, pulling his goofy hat down lower upon his head. "Do I get a thank you?" Alfred asked cheekily as he met his pace, glancing out at the mountainous range in the distance.

"Fuck you." The man merely spat, walking faster, which Alfred easily mirrored.

"Don't mind if I do~" He said, wanting to see how far he could push this guy's buttons. For some reason, the man's anger was more humorous than it really should have been. The man's face went an instant shade of red as he sent him an affronted look.

"Excuse me?" He asked with irritation lacing his voice, turning swiftly to the right. "That was not an invitation."

"But with a face like that, how could I believe any differently?" Alfred said, noticing that the guy's hands formed fists at his sides as he tried to contain his fury.

"Stop following me." The man growled, swiftly turning towards him and shoving him roughly. Noticing the inquiring look on Alfred's face, the man quickly added, "I highly doubt that we're going in the same direction."

"Well, this is the way to Solitude, isn't it?" Alfred asked, knowing his way around these parts as he had just traversed them earlier this morning. "And if I'm not mistaken, there are no more major towns in this direction, so I would guess that we're headed the same way." The man said nothing, but snorted slightly, unable to deny the truth in his words. Alfred gazed towards him, noticing the way that he continuously pulled the hat lower upon his head, as if it was a nervous habit. "I'm Alfred."

The man rolled his eyes, refusing to meet his gaze as he remained silent. Alfred waited for a few moments and then continued. "Ya know, it's only polite to offer your name in return."

"Arthur." The guy snapped, finally directing a heated gaze towards him. "Now kindly shut your mouth before I force it shut."

"Oh, so you're going to put a spell on me, mighty conjurer? I bet that would go well." Alfred snickered, certain that the mage's abilities were slim.

This only seemed to anger Arthur further as he held out his hand, clamping it forcefully against Alfred's lips. "I believe this will do just as well." He said, only to find his hand gripped by Alfred's as he easily pushed it away.

"Not if we plan on making any distance." Alfred said, continuing forward as Arthur followed behind him. "Now, Solitude is about a four hour walk from here, and if we plan to make it there before dark, it'd be best to increase our pace." Arthur remained silent, but quickened his steps slightly, surprisingly not straying far from his side. He figured that the man just didn't know his way around and would have gotten lost if he went another direction.

"Where're you from?" Alfred asked, finding that increased conversation would make the time go by faster. He sent his gaze behind him, and noticed that Arthur wore a large frown and was absentmindedly kicking a rock on the ground before him as he walked. He sighed, figuring that the guy wasn't much of a talker and decided to uphold the conversation himself. "I'm from Whiterun. My family has a modest house there. We had a family store where we sold swords, armor, potions and stuff- kinda like a general goods store. I figure that my brother is running it now." Still, only silence met his words. "He's quiet, a bit easy to forget, ya know? He sort of disappears half the time. He always was a sneaky little thing, so don't let his looks fool you."

"…Name…"

"Huh?"

"His name?"

Alfred smiled, glad to see that Arthur was finally starting to lower a bit of his defenses around him. "Matthew."

"I see."

"And what about you, Arthur? Do you have any brothers?" Alfred noticed that Arthur's entire form tensed at the words, and Alfred figured that it must be a tough subject for him. "Umm… Nevermind. Anyway, what are you going to Solitude for?"

"To find a carriage." Arthur simply stated, tugging lightly at his sleeves

"So you're not staying in Solitude?" Alfred took the quiet that followed his question as a yes. "I'm not gonna stay long either. I'm leaving right after I speak to the Jarl." Alfred picked a couple strawberries from a nearby bush and continued forward, taking large bites as he went. "Where are you planning on going once you leave Solitude?"

"Not sure."

"Well, with your… talents," Alfred practically cringed himself at the words, knowing that his magic skills were anything but a work of talent. "I'm sure you could easily join the Mage College in Winterhold."

"I don't have the money." Arthur admitted, snatching one of Alfred's strawberries and plopping it in his mouth. "But I plan on earning some so I can attend."

"I see." He thought quietly to himself for a few seconds, the gears in his mind turning. "Hey Art. How much money do you have on you right now?"

"My name is Arthur."

"Right, right. Just answer my question."

"…I have 8 pieces of gold." Arthur mumbled, obviously embarrassed by the fact. Alfred sent him a shocked look. "Don't look at me like that! I don't want you pity! I will earn money in time."

"I wasn't tryin to make fun of you. I was just wondering how you got such a fine hat if you can't even afford the room at an inn for the night." Alfred easily dodged the rock that hurtled towards his head, chuckling as he continued. "Well, I have 40 pieces of gold."

"Good for you."

"So… together, we have 45 pieces of gold. Why don't we travel together? I could book us some rooms at the inn tonight and in the morning we can head straight to Winterhold."

Arthur sent him a doubtful look. "And in return?"

"Hmm?"

"What is it you want in return? Why would you go to Winterhold? You obviously have family back in Whiterun, so why go to the other end of Skyrim now?"

"I'm sort of an adventurer," Alfred said, rubbing his hands against his pants to rid them of the remnants of the strawberries. He ignored the disgusted look Arthur sent towards him as he did so. "I like to travel. I've never been to Winterhold before, so I figure, what the heck? I might as well go!"

"Well find someone else to go with. I like to travel alone."

Alfred placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile. "I hate to say this, but with 8 pieces of gold, there's no way you can afford the carriage ride to Winterhold. Why don't we just team up and go together?"

"Why?"

"Because, I find you interesting. It's not every day that I find another Nord to hang around with."

The man scoffed, frowning. "I'm not a Nord."

"Huh? But with your blonde hair and all, I figured you as one."

"Well, as surprising as it may be, I have no Nordic blood in my veins. I'm a Breton." Arthur explained. Alfred noticed that some of his features were more pronounced than his own, and so he figured that he was speaking the truth.

"Ah, well Breton's are cool too! I mean, you guys are good with magic and everything…" He trailed off, realizing that it wasn't the case with Arthur at all. "Anyway, it would be nice to have someone to travel with, so what do ya say?"

Arthur paused, considering his options. Then, after moments of thought, he finally said, "Fine." A huge grin spread about Alfred's face as he went along with more energy in his steps, delighted at the fact that he found a new partner to travel with.

"Awesome!"

"Whatever…"

"So, to Solitude we go~" Alfred cheered as Arthur sighed behind him. He wasn't sure what would await them in their adventures, but with this crazy Breton by his side, Alfred was sure that this trip would surely be interesting.

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**And that's chapter one~ Actually, Alfred was going on an actual mission from the game- the Wolfskull Cave one. That's where the idea came from XDD If anyone is reading this, I hope you enjoyed! :D Send me a review and let me know what ya think~**


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